Research Paper Structure — Section-by-Section Template

The standard IMRaD structure for empirical research papers, plus an alternative structure for argumentative research papers.

IMRaD (Empirical)

  • I — Introduction (background, problem, RQ, hypothesis)
  • M — Methods (sample, instruments, procedure, analysis)
  • R — Results (descriptive + inferential statistics, tables/figures)
  • a — and
  • D — Discussion (interpretation, implications, limitations, future research)

Argumentative Research Paper

  • Introduction + thesis
  • Background / literature review
  • Argument 1 with research evidence
  • Argument 2 with research evidence
  • Counterargument + rebuttal
  • Conclusion + call to action

Frequently Asked Questions

Which structure does my paper need?

Empirical (data-collecting) papers use IMRaD. Argumentative papers analyzing existing literature use the argumentative structure.